officially invited, Cora. Besides, I thought you might want to meet some of Liv’s friends.” His lips pulled up into a devilish smile. “I also want to see if you’re as terrible at sport as you predict.”
“Well, that’s just mean,” she said, ducking her head and laughing. “Oh God, this is going to be so embarrassing.”
“What’s life if you’re not embarrassing yourself from time to time, right?” He gave her a gentle shake. “And you’ll learn one thing about us Aussies—we don’t mind having a laugh at ourselves. In fact, I’d almost go as far as to say it’s a national pastime.”
Trent was so…unpretentious and kind. He was unlike any of the men she’d met back home, who all seemed to want to know her social pedigree, education level, and employment history before agreeing to a second date.
Yeah, but you’re not dating Trent.
Could have fooled her body for all the little fireworks going off in her belly.
“How do you do that?” she asked.
He cocked his head. “What?”
“Make people feel instantly comfortable?”
His eyes searched her face, and she wondered if he felt the little crackle of energy that passed between them. It was fizzy and wonderful and it set her skin ablaze. In only one day, Cora was feeling again. That cold, unrelenting numbness she’d been drowning in back in New York was starting to crack and fall away.
God, she would owe Liv forever for this trip.
“It’s one of my many talents,” Trent said with a shrug. “Come on, let me introduce you to the team. I have a feeling you’ll fit right in.”
They stepped down onto the sandy beach, and Cora scrunched her feet up to feel the warm grains sliding between her toes. It was heavenly here—a natural paradise. Waves whooshed to and fro, crashing into foam at the shoreline and racing up the beach to the sound of delighted squeals and the indignant squawk of seagulls. Trent’s friends stood around a small blue and white box that looked like a cooler. On the ground was a bat the likes of which Cora had never seen before and a few tennis balls.
“Everyone, this is Cora. She’s a friend of Liv’s and is staying with us for the month. She has also…never played cricket.” Trent stepped back from her with his fingers crossed as if she had a contagious disease, and everyone laughed. “We need to educate her in the way of our nation’s greatest sport.”
“Nice to meet you all.” Cora held her hand up in a shy wave.
“This is my big brother Nick.” Trent pointed to a guy Cora could have picked out as Trent’s sibling even without the introduction—they had the same blue eyes and blond hair and broad smiles. “Then we have Kellen and Leigh, who run the gym on Main Street. Maddy is our resident book pusher—”
“Happy to be called that,” Maddy said, sticking her hand out. She had long black hair, amber eyes, and brown skin with intricate tattoos running up her left arm. “I run Just One More Chapter near the town hall.”
“I love that name so much,” Cora said, beaming and already making mental plans to visit.
“Then we have Skye.” Trent gestured to a woman in a fire-engine-red bathing suit who had total Baywatch vibes, right down to her wavy blond hair. “And her brother, Dean. They’re both in service of our great state. Skye works as a constable at the police station off Main Street and Dean works in OH&S out in the Frankston precinct.”
“That’s a fancy way of saying I help officers get back on their feet after an injury,” Dean said. “Since many, like my dear sister here, don’t always give a thought to their own well-being in the course of their job.”
“Ha.” Skye rolled her eyes. “I’m fit as a fiddle.”
She wasn’t kidding. Skye was lean, with broad shoulders and the kind of definition in her arms that Cora could only ever achieve with a contouring stick. Despite looking like a supermodel, Skye clearly could snap a person over her well-toned thigh if she wanted to.
“Thanks for letting me join your team,” Cora said, taking a moment to shake all their hands.
“We were desperate for another woman,” Skye said, bringing a water bottle to her lips and tipping her head back. “The team is testosterone heavy enough as it is.”
Trent nudged Cora in the ribs. “Told you.”
“Well, I hope you told them that not only have I never played cricket, but that I am probably the worst athlete you’ll